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takes his hat off, and immediately covers himself again).

      Anspessade. Halt! Front! Present!

      Wallenstein (after he has run through them with his eye, to the

       Anspessade). I know thee well. Thou art out of Brüggin in Flanders:

       Thy name is Mercy.

      Anspessade. Henry Mercy.

      Wallenstein. Thou wert cut off on the march, surrounded

       by the Hessians, and didst fight thy way with a hundred and 5

       eighty men through their thousand.

      Anspessade. ‘Twas even so, General!

      Wallenstein. What reward hadst thou for this gallant exploit?

      Anspessade. That which I asked for: the honour to serve

       in this corps. 10

      Wallenstein (turning to a second). Thou wert among the

       volunteers that seized and made booty of the Swedish battery

       at Altenburg.

      Second Cuirassier. Yes, General!

      Wallenstein. I forget no one with whom I have exchanged 15

       words. (A pause). Who sends you?

      Anspessade. Your noble regiment, the Cuirassiers of

       Piccolomini.

      Wallenstein. Why does not your colonel deliver in your

       request, according to the custom of service? 20

      Anspessade. Because we would first know whom we serve.

      Wallenstein. Begin your address.

      Anspessade (giving the word of command). Shoulder your arms!

      Wallenstein (turning to a third). Thy name is Risbeck, Cologne

       is thy birthplace. 25

      Third Cuirassier. Risbeck of Cologne.

      Wallenstein. It was thou that broughtest in the Swedish

       colonel, Diebald, prisoner, in the camp at Nuremberg.

      Third Cuirassier. It was not I, General!

      Wallenstein. Perfectly right! It was thy elder brother: 30

       thou hadst a younger brother too: Where did he stay?

      Third Cuirassier. He is stationed at Olmutz with the

       Imperial army.

      Wallenstein (to the Anspessade). Now then — begin.

      Anspessade. There came to hand a letter from the Emperor 35

       Commanding us ——

      Wallenstein. Who chose you?

      Anspessade. Every company

       Drew its own man by lot.

      Wallenstein. Now! to the business.

      Anspessade. There came to hand a letter from the Emperor

       Commanding us collectively, from thee

       All duties of obedience to withdraw, 40

       Because thou wert an enemy and traitor.

      Wallenstein. And what did you determine?

      Anspessade. All our comrades

       At Brannau, Budweiss, Prague and Olmutz, have

       Obeyed already, and the regiments here, 45

       Tiefenbach and Toscana, instantly

       Did follow their example. But — but we

       Do not believe that thou art an enemy

       And traitor to thy country, hold it merely

       For lie and trick, and a trumped-up Spanish story! 50

       Thyself shalt tell us what thy purpose is,

       For we have found thee still sincere and true:

       No mouth shall interpose itself betwixt

       The gallant General and the gallant troops.

      Wallenstein. Therein I recognize my Pappenheimers. 55

      Anspessade. And this proposal makes thy regiment to thee:

       Is it thy purpose merely to preserve

       In thy own hands this military sceptre,

       Which so becomes thee, which the Emperor

       Made over to thee by a covenant? 60

       Is it thy purpose merely to remain

       Supreme commander of the Austrian armies? —

       We will stand by thee, General! and guarantee

       Thy honest rights against all opposition.

       And should it chance, that all the other regiments 65

       Turn from thee, by ourselves will we stand forth

       Thy faithful soldiers, and, as is our duty,

       Far rather let ourselves be cut to pieces,

       Than suffer thee to fall. But if it be

       As the Emperor’s letter says, if it be true, 70

       That thou in traitorous wise wilt lead us over

       To the enemy, which God in heaven forbid!

       Then we too will forsake thee, and obey

       That letter ——

      Wallenstein. Hear me, children!

      Anspessade. Yes, or no!

       There needs no other answer.

      Wallenstein. Yield attention. 75

       You’re men of sense, examine for yourselves;

       Ye think, and do not follow with the herd:

       And therefore have I always shewn you honour

       Above all others, suffered you to reason;

       Have treated you as free men, and my orders 80

       Were but the echoes of your prior suffrage. —

      Anspessade. Most fair and noble has thy conduct been

       To us, my General! With thy confidence

       Thou hast honoured us, and shewn us grace and favour

       Beyond all other regiments; and thou seest 85

       We follow not the common herd. We will

       Stand by thee faithfully. Speak but one word —

       Thy word shall satisfy us, that it is not

       A treason which thou meditatest — that

       Thou meanest not to lead the army over 90

       To the enemy; nor e’er betray thy country.

      Wallenstein. Me, me are they betraying. The Emperor

       Hath sacrificed me to my enemies,

       And I must fall, unless my gallant troops

       Will rescue me. See! I confide in you. 95

       And be your hearts my strong hold! At this breast

       The aim is taken, at this hoary head.

       This is your Spanish gratitude, this is our

       Requital for that murderous fight at Lutzen!

       For this we threw the naked breast against 100

       The halbert, made for this the frozen earth

       Our bed, and the hard stone our pillow! never stream

       Too rapid for us, nor wood too impervious:

       With cheerful spirit we pursued that Mansfield

      

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